How to force an overlapped or minimized window to the top

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How to force an overlapped or minimized window to the top (Views: 300)

Problem/Question/Abstract:

I cannot get my overlapped or minimized window to come to the top by hook or crook. I have tried the SetForegroundWindow, BringToTop and ShowWindow (show, restore) API calls using the form, application and the application.mainform handles. Every combination reacted the same. I get the visual clue of the application blinking on the task bar for about 5 seconds and that's it. It never comes to the top to be viewable. This is a Win98 SE test station.

Answer:

function ForceForegroundWindow(hwnd: THandle): boolean;
const
  SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT = $2000;
  SPI_SETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT = $2001;
var
  ForegroundThreadID: DWORD;
  ThisThreadID: DWORD;
  timeout: DWORD;
begin
  if IsIconic(hwnd) then
    ShowWindow(hwnd, SW_RESTORE);
  if GetForegroundWindow = hwnd then
    Result := true
  else
  begin
    {Windows 98/2000 doesn't want to foreground a window when some
    other window has keyboard focus}
    if ((Win32Platform = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT) and (Win32MajorVersion > 4))
      or ((Win32Platform = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_WINDOWS) and ((Win32MajorVersion > 4)
      or ((Win32MajorVersion = 4) and (Win32MinorVersion > 0)))) then
    begin
      {Code from Karl E. Peterson, www.mvps.org/vb/sample.htm
      Converted to Delphi by Ray Lischner
      Published in The Delphi Magazine 55, page 16}
      Result := false;
      ForegroundThreadID := GetWindowThreadProcessID(GetForegroundWindow, nil);
      ThisThreadID := GetWindowThreadProcessId(hwnd, nil);
      if AttachThreadInput(ThisThreadID, ForegroundThreadID, true) then
      begin
        BringWindowToTop(hwnd); {IE 5.5 related hack}
        SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
        AttachThreadInput(ThisThreadID, ForegroundThreadID, false);
        Result := (GetForegroundWindow = hwnd);
      end;
      if not Result then
      begin
        {Code by Daniel P. Stasinski}
        SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT, 0, @timeout, 0);
        SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT, 0, TObject(0),
          SPIF_SENDCHANGE);
        BringWindowToTop(hwnd); {IE 5.5 related hack}
        SetForegroundWindow(hWnd);
        SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT, 0, TObject(timeout),
          SPIF_SENDCHANGE);
      end;
    end
    else
    begin
      BringWindowToTop(hwnd); {IE 5.5 related hack}
      SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
    end;
    Result := (GetForegroundWindow = hwnd);
  end;
end;

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